Labeling machine



May 20, 1952 BECK 2,597,431

LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Even 2 0/- fi or'marz Beck J ,4rr s? 7 May 20, 1952 N. BECK 2,597,431

LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 20, 1952 N. BECK 2,597,431

LABELING MACHINE .Filed Sept, 1850 5. Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 20, 1952 LABELING MACHINE Norman Beck, Southall, England, assignor to The Crown Cork Company Limited, Southall, England, a British company Application September 8, 1950, Serial No. 183,886 In Great Britain September 5, 1949 This invention is for improvements in or relating to labelling machines, and is concerned with machines of the type in which a suction pad on a movable arm takes a label from a stack and forwards it through a gumming device to the bottle or the like to which it is to be applied. The invention has for one of its objects to provide a more eflicient machine of this type than has heretofore been available.

According to the primary feature of the present invention, the suction pad has a universal joint connection with the arm on which it is mounted, which connection is such as to afford a substantial range of angular adjustment of the pad relatively to the arm, and also such as to enable the said parts to be clamped in any chosen position. This adjustability enables the setting of the pad in relation to the arm to bevaried according to requirements, for example to suit the contour of the bottle ,or the like to which the label is to be applied.

In one form of the invention, a. length of the suction tube reaches through the pad to provide the suction through apertures in the contact surface of the pad, and the pad is rotatably adjustable about the longitudinal axis of the said tube length, which latter has means for clamping the pad on it in any chosen setting. Conveniently, the suction tube also carries a stem, the longitudinal axi of which has substantially at right angles to, but substantially in the same plane as, the longitudinal axis of the said length of tube, which stem is received to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis in a socket provided by the said movable arm, which latter also carries means for clamping the pillar in any chosen relative setting in the socket. A locking pin may be placed in position in engagement with the stem and movable arm to preclude rotation of the stem in the socket when once the correct setting for a particular type of label or bottle or the like has been determined. In this construction, a suction conduit extends from the contact urface of the pad, through the suction tube, to the interior of the stem, and thence through lateral ports in the latter and in the socket to the interior of the movable arm, which lateral ports are of such number or sufiiciently large as to ensure that the suction conduit is open throughout the operative range of rotative adjustment of the stem in the socket. It is preferred also to arrange that the length of tube in the suction pad communicates with the apertures in the contact surface of the latter through lateral ports in the tube, which lateral ports or the apertures. in'the pad 3 Claims. (01. 216--55) are of such number or sufficiently large as to ensure that the interior of the tube is open to the apertures throughout the operative range of rotative adjustment of the pad on the tube. It will be appreciated that in this form of the invention, as with the form of the invention previously mentioned, the setting of the pad in relation to the arm can be varied according to requirements, and the suction will be operative no matter what setting may be chosen for the pad.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, there will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, certain constructions accordin to the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction details set forth.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a labelling machine embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a front'elevation of certain of the parts of the machine shown in Figure 1 but on a scale larger than that of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a suction pad and associated parts on a scale larger than that of the preceding figures,

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an elevation of two associated suction pads according to Figures 3 and 4.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the ma chine comprises a base III in which there is located a cylinder, the head of which is shown at H. Reaching up from the base It] is a column l2, the upper end of which is bent forwardly and is supported by two standards [3 and I4. Associated with a piston in the cylinder II is a piston rod l5 having at its upper end a crosshead 16 which takes a sliding bearing on the standards 13 and I4. A label carrier is shown at ii. The cross-head l6 carries two rotary arms 18 and IS with suction pads 20 and 2|, and fixedly mounted on the standards 13 and M are brackets 22 and 23 carrying gumming devices 24 and 25. Below the space between the latter is a bottlereception table 26, a bottle being shown at 21. The arms I8 and 19 are urged towards each other by spring means 28 and they are carried on one end of a spindle 29, theother end of which carrie a pinion 30 which durin the movement of the piston rod 15 traverses a rack 3| to turn the spindle 29 through Thus, at the top of the stroke ofthe piston rod l5, the arms l8 and I9 are upwardly-directed and take a. label from the carrier l1. As they move down, they are turned with the spindle 29 by the rack 3| through 180. The downwardly-directed arms carry the label through the gumming devices 24 and 25 and apply it to the bottle 21. The mounting of the arms on the spindle. 29- permits theirangular spacing to be adjusted.

In the construction shown in Figures 3-5, the pad 39 is elongated and is slightly convex at 4H- along part of its contact surface. A. suction. tube, bent more or less into U shape, is shown at 4|. A shoulder 42 is provided on-thistubmandi beyond the shoulder there .isa. straight length of the tube which reaches longitudinally through the pad 39 with a sliding fitand -receives; a clamping nut 43, the tube being closed 'at this extremity. This straight length of the tube has an elongated port 44 formed in it and communicating with this port are suction apertures 45 in the pad. rhepad can be rotatively. adjusted on the suction. tubaand: the; apertures; 45 are sufficiently large as to ensure; that-.thainterior. of. the tube. is open. to; the; apertures; 45; through: out all desired: angular adjustment; of? the. pad: on. the tube.

The other end of: the tube; .41; has welded on. to it. a. fitting; which. comprises. a sleeve. 46 inwhichthe tube is. received: and by: which; this extremity of the: tube is;c.1ose.da Rroieoting; at:

rieht ngle from thesleeve;4.6; is-a;stem;41: which reaches slidably right; through. asocket. in. the oir-set portion 48: of;- the. arm. [8 to; receive a: amp nut. 49.51 The; longitudinal axis; otthe stem 4]. lies in, or; substantially ire. the. plane on 1.

the length of; the: tube; ll-LQD-TWhiOh". the; pad. 39; is mounted. The stem-J1;cambegrotativelyade justed in its socket in the arm; ld andfispartly hollow at 50 and is, laterally portedzati; 541 to. es-

tablish communicatiombetweenthe. tube; ligand be inserted in alignedholesidrilledin -.the fitting and the arm after. a setting; or the parts. has been determined as suitable. for," a. particularlabel or bottle or the like. This willpreclude undesired turning of ;the stem in-,thearm.

Figure 5-shows a positionwhich may beoc cupied by companion arms: I83 and I9 and. theirsuction pads, The latter, in both of; the con-- structions described above, may, bemade of any. suitable material, such as. .wood; rubber. orplastic.-

Referringto Figure2, thespacing. of the arms, I8 and I9 is sochosen in relation tozthea sizeof the" labels to be dealt-with, andrin relation:- to the spacing of, thegumming: devices. 24- and. 25, and in relationlto the diameter of the bottle or the like 2.1;.and the-twov suction pads are so= presented to the. labels, thatrwlienthe padsatake. a label from thecarrier; I1; that;v label; bridges. and extends beyond the 1 pads on both. sides.- This is shown in the fullline position nearthc. upper end of Figure 2; As-the arms move down, they. are turned 1 with the spindle 2.9 .by the rack. 31 through.180".. The upper-.chain;lineposition shows ;that as. thelabel is-carrieddownzbetweem.

the summing. devices; 214 ganddi: itszouter gins are wiped against the gumming devices. The two lower chain line positions show that when the label reaches the bottle or the like 21, the pressure of the pads against the latter moves the pads apart to wipe the label around the surface of the bottle or the like. The convex formation of the pads and the contour of the bottle or the like facilitate this spreading and wiping movement.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth.

ILclaim:

l. A labelling machine comprising in combinationa suction arm, means for moving said arm from. a. stack oflabels through a gumming device to; abottle: or the like at a labelling station, a suctionpad for said arm, a suction tube, a length of which reaches through the pad to provide the suction through apertures in the contact surface of the pad, which pad is rotatively adjustable about the longitudinal: axis of the said tube length, means for clamping the pad on saidtube length in any chosen setting, a stem carried on said tube, the longitudinal axis of which stemlies substantially at right angles to, butsubstantially in the same plane as, the longitudinal axis of the saidlength of tube, asocket provided by the suction arm, in which socket the stem is received to be rotatable about. its longitudinal axis, and means for clamping the stem in any chosen relative setting in the socket.

2. A labelling machine comprisingin combination a suction arm, means for moving saidarmfrom-a stack oflabels througha gumming device;

to abottle or the like at alabellingstation, a. suction pad for said arm, a suction tube, a length oiiwhich. reaches through the pad. to provide the suctionthrough apertures in the contact surface of" the. pad, which pad is rotatively adjustable about the longitudinal axis of the said tube length, means for clamping-the pad onsaid tube lengthin'. any chosen setting,,a stemcarriedon.

said: tube, the longitudinal axis. of which. stem lies; substantially at rightiangles to, but;substanstially inzthe same planeas, the. longitudinal axis;

ofithe; said length-of tube, a socket: provided by the. suction. arm, in" which socket the'stem; is' received to be rotatable about its longitudinal 1 axis screw means for. clamping the-stem in. any. chosen. relative setting onthe socket,. and a.

lockingpinadapted to be placedin position in engagement with thestem and-.suctionarm to preclude rotation .of the stem in the socket when. ;once the correct setting for a particular type:

of .label or bottle or the like has beendetermined. 3. A labelling machine comprising. in combina tion' a..suction arm, means for moving'said arm from astack of labelsthrough angumming device to-agbottle or thelike at a labelling station, a suctionpad for said -.arm, a suction-tube, a length of whichreaches through the pad to provide the suction through aperturesrin-the contact surface of. the pad, which pad isrotatively adjustable.

about the longitudinal axis of the said tube length, means-for clampingthe pad on-said tube-length inany chosen setting, a stem carried on said tube, thelongitudinalaxis of which stem lies substantially atrightangles to; but substantially in the same plane as, the longitudinal axis of the said length of1tube, a socket. provided'by the-suction arm, in which socketthe stem. is .received to: be rotatable about its longitudinalzaxis, which stem is; hollow .to' communicate with theiinterior: of thesuctiomtubeand: which stem 1 and socket have lateral ports to communicate with the interior of the suction arm and such as to ensure that the interior of the tube is open to the interior of the suction arm throughout the operative range of rotative adjustment or the stem in the socket, and means for clamping the stem in any chosen relative setting in the socket.

NORMAN BECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Numb er UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Long et a1 Jan. 25, 1910 Watson Aug. 14, 1917 Burghardt July 19, 1921 Meyer May 4, 1926 Von Hofe June 20, 1939 Miller Apr. 21, 1942 Armstrong et a1. Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 7, 1924 

